Patrick Dempsey Personal life
Was Dempsey ever married?
Was Patrick Dempsey ever married?
Dempsey was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 12. As a result, it is necessary for him to memorize all his lines in order to perform, even for auditions where he was unlikely to get the part.  Entertainment Weekly put Dempsey's hair on its end-of-the-decade "best-of" list, saying, "What made Grey's Anatomy a mega-medi-hit? It could have something to do with creator Shonda Rhimes' scalpel-sharp writing...or McDreamy's impossibly luxurious man hair. Just saying." In 2005, People magazine ranked him second in its annual list of "Sexiest Men Alive" and again in 2006.  Dempsey has been married twice. On 24 August 1987, he married his manager, actress and acting coach, Rochelle "Rocky" Parker, when he was 21 and she 48. She appeared with Dempsey in the film In the Mood. While it has been reported that Dempsey married his best friend's mother, he has been quoted saying that he became best friends with Parker's son only after he became romantically involved with Parker. The couple divorced on 26 April 1994. She died in 2014.  On July 31, 1999, Dempsey married hairstylist and makeup artist Jillian Fink. The couple have three children, daughter Talia Faye (born February 20, 2002), and twin sons Sullivan Patrick and Darby Galen (born February 1, 2007). In January 2015, Fink filed for divorce, but the couple reconciled later in the year. They called off their divorce on November 12, 2016.  Dempsey is a supporter of Scottish football club Rangers F.C. because of the Scottish ancestry he has through his step-grandfather. CANNOTANSWER
Dempsey has been married twice.
Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and race car driver, best known for his role as neurosurgeon Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd in Grey's Anatomy. He had early success as an actor, starring in a number of films in the 1980s, including Can't Buy Me Love (1987) and Loverboy (1989). In the 1990s, he mostly appeared in smaller roles in film, such as Outbreak (1995) and television. Dempsey was also in Scream 3 (2000) where he played the role of Detective Mark Kincaid. He was successful in landing a lead role in Sweet Home Alabama (2002), a surprise box office hit. He has since starred in other films, including Brother Bear 2 (2006), Enchanted (2007), Made of Honor (2008), Valentine's Day (2010), Flypaper (2011), Freedom Writers (2007), Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), and Bridget Jones's Baby (2016).

Dempsey, who maintains a sports car and vintage car collection, also enjoys auto racing in his spare time. He has competed in pro-am events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona sports car race, and Ensenada SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race. Prior to the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans, Dempsey declared that he would "walk away" from acting if he could and dedicate himself full-time to motorsports.

Early life
Dempsey was born in Lewiston, Maine, and grew up in the nearby towns of Turner and Buckfield. He has two older sisters and a half-brother, Shane Wray. His mother, Amanda (née Casson), was a school secretary, and his father, William, was an insurance salesman.

He attended Buckfield High School and St. Dominic Regional High School, and after moving to Houston attended Willowridge High School.

In his youth, Dempsey participated in juggling competitions. In 1981, he achieved second place at the International Jugglers' Association Championship in the Juniors category, just behind Anthony Gatto, who is considered to be the best technical juggler of all time.

Dempsey was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 12. He told Barbara Walters on her 2008 Oscar special that he thinks dyslexia made him what he is today. "It's given me a perspective of — you have to keep working," Dempsey told Walters. "I have never given up."

Acting career

Early career
An invitation to audition for a role in the stage production of Torch Song Trilogy led to Patrick Dempsey's discovery as an actor. His audition was successful and he spent the following four months touring with the company in Philadelphia. He followed this with another tour, Brighton Beach Memoirs, in the lead role, which was directed by Gene Saks. Dempsey has also made notable appearances in the stage productions of On Golden Pond, with the Maine Acting Company, and as Timmy (the Martin Sheen role) in a 1990 off-Broadway revival of The Subject Was Roses co-starring with John Mahoney and Dana Ivey at the Roundabout Theatre in New York.

Dempsey's first major feature film role was at age 21 with Beverly D'Angelo in the film In The Mood, the actual World War II story about Ellsworth Wisecarver whose relationships with older married women created a national uproar. He then co-starred in the third installment of the comedy classic Meatballs III: Summer Job, alongside Sally Kellerman in 1987. This was followed by the teen comedy Can't Buy Me Love in 1987 with actress Amanda Peterson and Some Girls with Jennifer Connelly in 1988. In 1989, Dempsey had the lead role in the films Loverboy with actress Kirstie Alley and Happy Together with actress Helen Slater.

1990s and 2000s
Dempsey made several featured appearances in television in the 1990s; he was cast several times in pilots that were not picked up for a full season, including lead roles in the TV versions of the films The Player and About A Boy. He received good reviews, however, as he portrayed real-life Mob boss, Meyer Lansky in 1991 when Mobsters was put on the screen. His first major television role was a three-episode stint as Will Truman's closeted sportscaster boyfriend on Will & Grace. He appeared in four episodes of Once & Again as Aaron Brooks, the schizophrenic brother of Lily (Sela Ward). Dempsey received an Emmy nomination in 2001 as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for the role of Aaron. In 1993, he played a young John F. Kennedy in the two-part TV mini-series JFK: Reckless Youth. In 2000, he played Detective Kincaid in Scream 3.

Dempsey had a high-profile role as the fiancé of Reese Witherspoon's character in Sweet Home Alabama (2002). In 2004, he co-starred in the highly acclaimed HBO production Iron Jawed Angels, opposite Hilary Swank and Anjelica Huston. He also appeared as special guest star in The Practice for its three-episode finale season (8x13-8x15).

In 2007, Dempsey starred in the Disney film Enchanted, and the Paramount Pictures film Freedom Writers, where he reunited with his Iron Jawed Angels co-star Hilary Swank. He also voiced the character Kenai in Brother Bear sequel Brother Bear 2, replacing Joaquin Phoenix. Dempsey's most recent roles include the 2008 film Made of Honor as Tom, and the 2010 romantic comedy Valentine's Day; the latter film follows five interconnecting stories about Los Angelinos anticipating (or in some cases dreading) the holiday of love.

Universal Pictures acquired the rights to the prize-winning novel The Art of Racing in the Rain in July 2009, for Dempsey to star in. The film instead starred Milo Ventimiglia. He starred as Dylan Gould in Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011).

Grey's Anatomy

Dempsey has received significant public attention for his role as Dr. Derek Christopher Shepherd (McDreamy) in the drama Grey's Anatomy next to Ellen Pompeo. Before landing the role, Dempsey auditioned for the role of Dr. Chase on another medical show, House. He also appeared in two episodes of the later Grey's spinoff Private Practice, playing the same character of Dr. Shepherd. The relationship his character had with Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) on screen has received a lot of praise and positive reactions.

In January 2014, he signed a two-year contract to remain on Grey's Anatomy, then in its tenth season, that would ensure his participation for potential 11th and 12th seasons.

Dempsey was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series–Drama at the 2006 Golden Globes for the role. His success on the show has led to his becoming a spokesman for Mazda and State Farm Insurance. BuddyTV ranked him #1 on its list of "TV's Sexiest Men of 2011."

In November 2020, Dempsey appeared as Derek Shepherd at the start of the series' 17th season for the first time since the character had died in April 2015.

Further work
Following his departure from Grey's Anatomy, Dempsey was working on two small-screen projects: a drama The Limit for SundanceTV and a travelogue spy thriller called Fodors. He said: 

In 2016, Dempsey starred in the Universal Pictures film Bridget Jones's Baby with Renée Zellweger and Colin Firth, and in 2018 he appeared on Epix television miniseries The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair.

On February 4, 2020, Dempsey signed on to star as the lead of a CBS political drama pilot Ways & Means, where he would portray a Congressional leader. Initially planned to be considered for the 2020-21 televisions season, the pilot was rolled into consideration for the following season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CBS ultimately passed on the finished pilot in May 2021.  In January 2021, it was announced that Dempsey would reprise his role in the Enchanted sequel, Disenchanted, slated to begin production in spring of that year. The film is scheduled to be released on Disney+ late 2022.

Auto racing

In 2014, Dempsey told Reuters in the Hockenheimring support paddock at the German Grand Prix that motor racing was not just a hobby, and had become as much a part of who he is as acting. He said, "It's all-consuming in many ways. I couldn't imagine not racing right now. It really keeps me motivated. It's all I think about on a daily basis."

Dempsey, who maintains an extensive sports and vintage car collection, has enjoyed auto racing in his spare time for several years. Before the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013, he said that he would like to compete full-time, telling Eurosport:
I would like to make that [motorsports] a complete priority and just focus on this full-time. If I could just walk away from acting, I think I could do that very easily, and just focus on the driving, I would love that more than anything else.

He has competed in prestigious pro-am events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona sports car race, and Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race. He was a co-owner of the Vision Racing IndyCar Series team and current owner of Dempsey Racing, which is presently racing two Porsche 911 GT America's in the Tudor United Sports Car Series. He participated in this series as often as his schedule allowed, although insurance restrictions kept him from driving competitively while also filming a motion picture. In 2009, he raced a Team Seattle Advanced Engineering Ferrari F430 GT in the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans's GT2 class and finished ninth in class.

Dempsey announced he would race the 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona along with other races throughout the season in a Mazda RX-8.

Dempsey finished in third place in the GT Class of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. In 2012, Dempsey competed in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge behind the wheel of an Aston Martin Racing-Multimatic Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT4, which, after five successful racing seasons in Europe, was to make its debut on American tracks. He formed the Dempsey Racing team to compete in the American Le Mans Series. The team fielded a full-time Oreca FLM09 in the Prototype Challenge class as well as a Lola B12/80 coupe in the Prototype 2 class from Laguna Seca onward. 

After debuting at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, Dempsey returned to France four years later and competed in a Porsche 997 GT3 RSR at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. Dempsey and his co-drivers finished 29th overall and fourth in-class. 

Telling Porsche Newsroom: "Not much changes in my TV work, but everything changes constantly in motor racing – every lap, every bend and every moment."

In 2015, Dempsey focused on participating in the FIA World Endurance Championship with his own Dempsey Racing-Proton team in the GTE-Am class in a Porsche 997 GT3 RSR, teamed with Patrick Long and Marco Seefried.

Racing records

Career summary

 Not eligible for points.

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete Rolex Sports Car Series results
(key) (Results are overall/class)

 Did not complete sufficient laps in order to score points.

Complete Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge results
(key) (Results are overall/class)

‡ As Dempsey was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.

Complete Maserati Trofeo World Series results
(key)

‡ As Dempsey was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.

Complete American Le Mans Series results
(key) (Results are overall/class)

 Did not complete sufficient laps in order to score points.

Complete United SportsCar Championship results
(key) (Results are overall/class)

 Did not complete sufficient laps in order to score points.
* Season still in progress.

Complete Porsche Supercup results
(key)

‡ As Dempsey was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

Other ventures

Promotional work
He has been the face of L'Oreal and Versace and was featured in ads for Serengeti sunglasses. In November 2008, he launched an Avon fragrance named Unscripted. In June 2009, Women's Wear Daily reported the launch of a second Avon fragrance named Patrick Dempsey 2. The fragrance was recognized as the "Men's Private Label/Direct Sell" for the 2010 FiFi Awards. On September 29, 2012, Mexican cable company Cablemás, Megacable and Mexico city's Cablevisión launched an advertising campaign featuring Dempsey as the love interest of a domestic worker who comes across his profile on an online dating site.

Starting in 2013, Patrick Dempsey became the face of Silhouette, promoting eyewear fashion from Austria. From January 2017 Dempsey appears for Vodafone Italy and he appears in some Italian spots about it. In 2018, Bleusalt, a Malibu-based fashion brand launched a clothing line designed by the actor.

Business interests

In January 2013, Dempsey announced that his company (Global Baristas) had secured the winning bid to purchase Seattle-based Tully's Coffee, which had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October. Dempsey's bid of $9.15M was enough to secure Tully's over the bids of six others including Starbucks. Dempsey's company will control 47 Tully's locations in the Seattle area, but not the online business which had been purchased by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in 2009.

Following a legal dispute with investor group Global Baristas, Dempsey left the group, in effect officially leaving his managerial positions with Tully's. Dempsey filed a lawsuit on behalf of Global Baristas, claiming Michael Avenatti borrowed $2 million against Tully's assets without informing Dempsey, rather than fully financing the coffee chain as was promised, calling the 15 percent interest rate on the loan "exorbitant" and sued for Avenatti to fund Tully's operations and meet its working capital needs, as well as for any damages owed the company. Soon after, Dempsey's lawyer's office issued a statement saying the partnership was dissolved and that Dempsey wished the lawyer and the company "all the best". Avenatti has stated the dispute was a "misunderstanding" and will continue operating with other investors and new management.

Philanthropy
In 1997, Dempsey's mother, Amanda, was diagnosed with cancer which subsequently relapsed five times. On March 24, 2014, she died in Lewiston, Maine, aged 79. In response to his mother's bouts with cancer, Dempsey helped start the Patrick Dempsey Center at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. In October 2009, when Dempsey introduced the first Dempsey Challenge, registration was closed after reaching the goal of 3,500 cyclists, runners and walkers. The event raised more than $1 million for the cancer center. His mother was in the crowd as Dempsey finished his 50-mile ride. The Challenge has since become an annual October event presented by Amgen in the Lewiston–Auburn area. On May 28, 2017, Dempsey received an honorary doctorate from Bates College in his hometown, Lewiston, Maine for his philanthropy in the town and funding of "the Dempsey Center — just blocks from the Bates campus."

Dempsey was awarded an honorary doctorate by Bowdoin College in 2013 for his philanthropic work. His Grey's Anatomy character Derek Shepherd had been written as a Bowdoin graduate after an alumnus led a petition signed by over 450 students to "adopt" the character as an alumnus.

Personal life
Dempsey was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 12. As a result, it is necessary for him to memorize all his lines to perform, even for auditions where he is unlikely to get the part.

Entertainment Weekly put Dempsey's hair on its end-of-the-decade "best-of" list, saying, "What made Grey's Anatomy a mega-medi-hit? It could have something to do with creator Shonda Rhimes' scalpel-sharp writing… or McDreamy's impossibly luxurious man hair. Just saying." In 2005, People magazine ranked him second in its annual list of "Sexiest Men Alive" and again in 2006.

Dempsey has been married twice. On August 24, 1987, he married his manager, actress and acting coach, Rochelle "Rocky" Parker, when he was 21 and she 48. She appeared with Dempsey in the film In the Mood. While it has been reported that Dempsey married his best friend's mother, he has said that he became best friends with Parker's son only after he became romantically involved with Parker. The couple divorced on April 26, 1994. She died in 2014.

On July 31, 1999, Dempsey married Jillian Fink. The couple have three children. In January 2015, Fink filed for divorce, but the couple reconciled later in the year. They called off their divorce on November 12, 2016.

Dempsey is a supporter of Scottish football club Rangers F.C. because of his Scottish ancestry through his step-grandfather.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

 
 
 Patrick Dempsey at Internet Off-Broadway Database
 Patrick Dempsey at Emmys.com
 Patrick Dempsey at Le Mans
 

1966 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Lewiston, Maine
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
24 Hours of Daytona drivers
24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
Male actors from Maine
American male film actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American car collectors
Rolex Sports Car Series drivers
IndyCar Series team owners
Jugglers
Racing drivers from Maine
American Le Mans Series drivers
American film producers
FIA World Endurance Championship drivers
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers
Porsche Supercup drivers
People with dyslexia
People from Turner, Maine
People from Buckfield, Maine
Film directors from Maine
William Ryerson Dempsey (1832 – 1914) was a farmer and politician in Ontario, Canada. He represented Prince Edward in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1898 to 1902 as a Conservative member.

The son of William Dempsey and Sarah Mikel, he was born in Prince Edward County, Upper Canada and was educated at the normal school in Toronto. Dempsey taught school for several years and then became a fruit grower and fruit dealer. He served as township reeve for six years and was warden for Prince Edward County, also serving as a justice of the peace. Dempsey was a captain in the militia during the Fenian raids. He married Emily Boulter.

References

External links

1832 births
1934 deaths
People from Prince Edward County, Ontario
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie, and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. A cultural icon of the 1920s, Dempsey's aggressive fighting style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first million-dollar gate. He pioneered the live broadcast of sporting events in general, and boxing matches in particular.

Dempsey is ranked tenth on The Ring magazine's list of all-time heavyweights and seventh among its Top 100 Greatest Punchers, while in 1950 the Associated Press voted him as the greatest fighter of the past 50 years. He is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and was in the previous Boxing Hall of Fame.

Early life and career

Early life
Born William Harrison Dempsey in Manassa, Colorado, he grew up in Colorado and West Virginia. The son of Mary Celia (née Smoot) and Hiram Dempsey, he was of part Irish ancestry and also claimed to be partially Cherokee.

Family background in West Virginia
William A. Dempsey, of Logan County identified his son John Dempsey, Jr. of Mud Fork of Island Creek as executor of his last will and testament dated May 1, 1875. Upon payment of his debts and funeral expenses, he directed that his wife Mahulda receive the balance of his personal property while his six children receive an equal share of his real estate. His last will and testament, as witnessed by Estella, John, and Hiram Dempsey, was presented to the Logan County clerk on August 10, 1875.

Hiram and Celia Dempsey, parents to Jack, left West Virginia in 1887. One newspaper referred to them as "active workers" for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Manassa, Colorado
Dempsey was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,  in 1903 following his eighth birthday, the "age of accountability", according to church doctrine.

Logan County, West Virginia
Hiram Dempsey and his family returned to Logan County when Jack was a small boy where he was raised until shortly before commencement of his boxing career. Said the Logan Banner: "While he was a mere child they returned to Logan county. Jack remained here until a young man, having been employed by the Gay Coal and Coke Company as late as 1913, and then went west alone to seek pugilistic fortune. He met Jack Kearns on the Pacific coast, from which point his spectacular climb to the pinnacle of the heavyweight division furnished the sport with one of its most romantic episodes." In January 1924, the Banner reported on Dempsey's trip from New York to Florida, stating that he "used to call Logan home." In August 1926, the Banner reported how local boxer Bear Cat Clemons sparred two rounds per day with Dempsey at Sarasota Lake, New York, remarking: "When Dempsey and Clemons face each other in the squared circle, it is Logan county versus Logan county." The Banner, in a small September 1926 item, provided more history about Dempsey's Logan County roots: "The Dempsey family at one time lived on Mud Fork and another period near the Logan-Mingo line. Many relatives live in the two counties; and they as well as his former friends have taken pride in his prowess and successes. As a boy Jack and O.D. Avis, sports editor of The Banner, used to set up pins in a bowling alley on the Main street corner now occupied by the Logan garage." In June 1927, former Logan County sheriff Don Chafin traveled to New York to watch the Dempsey-Sharkey fight. The Logan Banner reported: "Mr. Chafin has attended every fight in which Dempsey has participated since he won the world's championship in Toledo. They have been close friends since Dempsey was a boy and a familiar figure about Logan."

Celia Dempsey, mother to Jack and at that time a resident of Utah, visited Huntington and Logan in September 1927. Said the Logan Banner: "Interviewed at Huntington Mrs. Dempsey told of her desire to revisit girlhood scenes and inquired about old friends. She spoke of Uncle Dyke Garrett and was pleasantly surprised to learn that he is still living. Uncle Dyke read the interview and despite the nearness of his 86th birthday, came back up from his home back of Chapmanville to welcome Mrs. Dempsey. This beloved old mountain minister never knew Jack Dempsey, but he remembers Jack’s mother as a girl, her maiden name being Cecilia Smoot. She was a daughter of Charles Smoot, who came to Logan from Boone County, and who lived and died up on Island Creek. After his death, Mrs. Smoot (Jack Dempsey’s grandmother) married Simpson Ellis, who died but a few years ago, after serving a long period on the county court. Scott Justice, who divides his time between Huntington and Logan, was among those who greeted Mrs. Dempsey at the Huntington Hotel yesterday. He remembers the marriage of Hiram Dempsey and Cecilia Smoot, and also recalls that the site on which the town of Holden now stands was sold by Hiram Dempsey to Mr. Justice’s father when the family decided to migrate westward. According to Mr. Justice, the tract of 200 acres changed hands for a consideration of $600. 'Uncle' Enoch Baker was another caller to greet the challenger’s mother. Mr. Baker was engaged in business in Logan county when the Dempseys lived here, being well acquainted with the family. While in Logan, Mrs. Dempsey will visit her half-brothers, Don Ellis of Stratton Street, and Joseph and John B. Ellis of Island Creek, and others." Mrs. Dempsey spent six days in Logan, quartering at the Aracoma Hotel. Her departure yielded an additional story: "By the time they reached Sharples Mrs. Dempsey missed a hatbox containing a $3500 watch, a gift from her famous son, and two valuable rings. They returned at once to Logan and after an anxious search found the missing box with contents undisturbed alongside the Washington apartments. Evidently it had fallen into the street and some passerby had placed it against the building, presumably without knowledge or curiosity as to the nature of its contents. While Mrs. Dempsey seemed to have enjoyed her visit in West Virginia and expressed a hope that she could come back next year for a longer stay, she said she wouldn’t want to live back here again because of the difference in climate. However, the people are more sociable here, she added, and are much more friendly upon first acquaintance."

Kid Blackie

Because his father had difficulty finding work, the family traveled often and Dempsey dropped out of elementary school to work and left home at the age of 16. Due to his lack of money, he frequently traveled underneath trains and slept in hobo camps. Desperate for money, Dempsey would occasionally visit saloons and challenge for fights, saying "I can't sing and I can't dance, but I can lick any SOB in the house." If anyone accepted the challenge, bets would be made. According to Dempsey's autobiography, he rarely lost these barroom brawls. For a short time, Dempsey was a part-time bodyguard for Thomas F. Kearns, president of The Salt Lake Tribune and son of Utah's U.S. Senator Thomas Kearns.

Dempsey often fought under the pseudonym, "Kid Blackie", although during his stint in the Salt Lake City area, he went by "Young Dempsey". Much of his early career is not recorded, and stated thus, in The Ring Record Book as compiled by Nat Fleischer.

Jack Dempsey
He first competed as "Jack Dempsey" (by his own recollection) in the fall of 1914, in Cripple Creek, Colorado. His brother, Bernie, who often fought under the pseudonym "Jack Dempsey"—this a common practice of the day, in fighters' admiration of middleweight boxer and former champion, Jack "Nonpareil" Dempsey—had signed to fight veteran George Copelin. Upon learning Copelin had sparred with then current world heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, and given Bernie Dempsey was nearing 40 years of age, he strategically decided to back out of the fight. He substituted his brother, still unknown in Eastern Colorado, as "Jack Dempsey". The fans at ringside immediately knew this was not the man they had paid to see.

The promoter became violently angry and "sailed into us, barehanded", threatening to stop the fight. Copelin himself, who outweighed Dempsey by 20 lbs. (165 to 145) upon seeing Dempsey's small stature in the ring, warned the promoter, "I might kill that skinny guy." The promoter reluctantly permitted the fight to commence, and in his first outing as "Jack Dempsey", the future champion downed Copelin six times in the first round and twice in the second. From there, it was a battle of attrition ("Neither Bernie nor I had taken into consideration the high altitude at Cripple Creek."), until a last knockdown of Copelin in the seventh, moved the referee to make the then-unusual move of stopping the fight once Copelin regained his feet. According to Dempsey "In those days they didn't stop mining-town fights as long as one guy could move." This trial by fire carried with it a $100 purse. The promoter, angered at the switch pulled by the brothers, had laid no promised side bets, "... and even if I did, I wouldn't give you anything."

Such lessons were hard, but fighting was something Jack Dempsey did well. Following the name change, Dempsey won six bouts in a row by knockout before losing on a disqualification in four rounds to Jack Downey. During this early part of his career, Dempsey campaigned in Utah, frequently entering fights in towns in the Wasatch Mountain Range region.  He followed his loss against Downey with a knockout win and two draws versus Johnny Sudenberg in Nevada. Three more wins and a draw followed when he met Downey again, this time resulting in a four-round draw.  Following these wins, Dempsey racked up 10 more wins that included matches against Sudenberg and Downey, knocking out Downey in two rounds.  These wins were followed with three no-decision matches, although at this point in the history of boxing, the use of judges to score a fight was often forbidden, so if a fight went the distance, it was called a draw or a no decision, depending on the state or county where the fight was held.

After the United States entered World War I in 1917, Dempsey worked in a shipyard and continued to box. Afterward, he was accused by some boxing fans of being a slacker for not enlisting. This remained a black mark on his reputation until 1920, when evidence produced showed he had registered with the U.S. Army, but been exempted due to hardship (having a dependent wife). After the war, Dempsey spent two years in Salt Lake City, "bumming around" as he called it, before returning to the ring.

World heavyweight champion

Among his opponents as a rising contender were Fireman Jim Flynn, the only boxer ever to beat Dempsey by a knockout when Dempsey lost to him in the first round (although some boxing historians believe the fight was a "fix"), and Gunboat Smith, formerly a highly ranked contender who had beaten both World Champion Jess Willard and Hall of Famer Sam Langford. Dempsey beat Smith for the third time on a second-round knockout.

Before he employed the long-experienced Jack Kearns as his manager, Dempsey was first managed by John J. Reisler.

One year later, in 1918, Dempsey fought in 17 matches, going 15–1 with one no-decision. One of those fights was with Flynn, who was knocked out by Dempsey, coincidentally, in the first round. Among other matches won that year were against Light Heavyweight Champion Battling Levinsky, Bill Brennan, Fred Fulton, Carl E. Morris, Billy Miske, heavyweight Lefty Jim McGettigan, and Homer Smith. In 1919, he won five consecutive regular bouts by knockout in the first round as well as a one-round special bout.

Title fight and controversy
On July 4, 1919, Dempsey and world heavyweight champion Jess Willard met at Toledo for the world title. Pro lightweight fighter Benny Leonard predicted a victory for the 6'1", 187 pound Dempsey even though Willard, known as the "Pottawatamie Giant", was 6'6½" tall and 245 pounds. Ultimately, Willard was knocked down seven times by Dempsey in the first round.

Accounts of the fight reported that Willard suffered a broken jaw, broken ribs, several broken teeth, and a number of deep fractures to his facial bones. This aroused suspicion that Dempsey had cheated, with some questioning how the force capable of causing such damage had been transmitted through Dempsey's knuckles without fracturing them.

Other reports, however, failed to mention Willard suffered any real injuries. The New York Times account of the fight described severe swelling visible on one side of Willard's face, but did not mention any broken bones. A still photograph of Willard following the fight appears to show discoloration and swelling on his face.

Following the match, Willard was quoted as saying, "Dempsey is a remarkable hitter. It was the first time that I had ever been knocked off my feet. I have sent many birds home in the same bruised condition that I am in, and now I know how they felt. I sincerely wish Dempsey all the luck possible and hope that he garnishes all the riches that comes with the championship. I have had my fling with the title. I was champion for four years and I assure you that they'll never have to give a benefit for me. I have invested the money I have made".  Willard later said he had been defeated by "gangsterism".

After being fired by Dempsey, manager Jack Kearns gave an account of the fight in the January 20, 1964, issue of Sports Illustrated that has become known as the "loaded gloves theory". In the interview, Kearns said he had informed Dempsey he had wagered his share of the purse favoring a Dempsey win with a first-round knockout.  Kearns further stated he had applied plaster of Paris to the wrappings on the fighter's hands.

Boxing historian J. J. Johnston said, "the films show Willard upon entering the ring walking over to Dempsey and examining his hands." That, along with an experiment conducted by a boxing magazine designed to re-enact the fight have been noted as proof that Kearns' story was false.

The Ring founder and editor Nat Fleischer said he had been present when Dempsey's hands were wrapped, stating, "Jack Dempsey had no loaded gloves, and no plaster of Paris over his bandages. I watched the proceedings and the only person who had anything to do with the taping of Jack's hands was Deforest. Kearns had nothing to do with it, so his plaster of Paris story is simply not true."

Deforest himself said that he regarded the stories of Dempsey's gloves being loaded as libel, calling them "trash", and said he did not apply any foreign substance to them, "which I can verify since I watched the taping." Sports writer Red Smith, in Dempsey's obituary published by The New York Times was openly dismissive of the claim.

Another rumor is that Dempsey used a knuckleduster during the first round.  Some speculated that the object used was a rail spike. In the Los Angeles Times on July 3, 1979, Joe Stone, an ex-referee and boxing writer, asserted that in a film taken of the fight an object on the canvas could be seen after the final knockdown. He further asserted that the object appears to be removed by someone from Dempsey's corner. In the same film, however, Dempsey can be seen at various times during the fight pushing and holding with Willard with the palm of the glove in question and holding on to the ropes with both hands, making it next to impossible that he had any foreign object embedded in his glove, and the 'object' resembles a cigar.

Further controversy was fueled by the fact that Dempsey left the ring at the end of the first round, thinking the fight was over. This was seen as a violation of the rules, however Willard's corner did not ask for enforcement in order for the referee to disqualify Dempsey.

Title defenses

Following his victory, Dempsey traveled around the country, making publicity appearances with circuses, staging exhibitions, and appearing in a low-budget Hollywood movie. Dempsey did not defend his title until September 1920, with a fight against Billy Miske in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Miske was knocked out in three rounds.

Dempsey's second title defense was in December 1920 against Bill Brennan at Madison Square Garden, New York City. After 10 rounds, Brennan was ahead on points, and Dempsey's left ear was bleeding profusely. Dempsey rebounded to stop Brennan in the 12th round.

Jack Dempsey vs. Georges Carpentier

Dempsey's next defending fight was against French WW I hero Georges Carpentier, a fighter popular on both sides of the Atlantic. The bout was promoted by Tex Rickard and George Bernard Shaw, who claimed that Carpentier was "the greatest boxer in the world".

The Dempsey–Carpentier contest took place on July 2, 1921, at Boyle's Thirty Acres in Jersey City, New Jersey. It generated the first million-dollar gate in boxing history; a crowd of 91,000 watched the fight. Though it was deemed "the Fight of the Century", experts anticipated a one-sided win for Dempsey.  Radio pioneer RCA arranged for live coverage of the match via KDKA, making the event the first national radio broadcast.

Carpentier wobbled Dempsey with a hard right in the second round. A reporter at ringside, however, counted 25 punches from Dempsey in a single 31-second exchange soon after he was supposedly injured by the right. Carpentier also broke his thumb in that round, which crippled his chances. Dempsey ended up winning the match in the fourth round.

Dempsey did not defend his title again until July 1923 against Tommy Gibbons in Shelby, Montana. Dempsey won the match as result of a 15-round decision.

The last successful title defense for Dempsey was in September 1923 at New York City's Polo Grounds in Dempsey vs. Firpo. Attendance was 85,000, with another 20,000 trying to get inside the arena. Firpo was knocked down repeatedly by Dempsey, yet continued to battle back, even knocking Dempsey down twice. On the second occasion he was floored, Dempsey flew head-first through the ring ropes, landing on a ringside reporter's typewriter. At this point he was out of the ring for approximately 14 seconds, less than the 20 second rule for out-of-ring knockouts. Nevertheless, he was helped back into the ring by the writers at ringside. Ultimately, Dempsey beat Argentine contender Luis Ángel Firpo with a second-round KO. The fight was transmitted live by radio to Buenos Aires.

Dempsey's heavyweight title-defending fights, exhibition fights, movies, and endorsements, made Dempsey one of the richest athletes in the world, putting him on the cover of Time.

Time off from boxing

Dempsey did not defend his title for three years following the Firpo fight. There was pressure from the public and the media for Dempsey to defend his title against Black contender Harry Wills. Disagreement exists among boxing historians as to whether Dempsey avoided Wills, though Dempsey claimed he was willing to fight him. When he originally won the title, however, he had said he would no longer fight Black boxers.

Instead of continuing to defend his title, Dempsey earned money with boxing exhibitions, product endorsements, and by appearing in films, such as the adventure film serial Daredevil Jack. Dempsey also did a lot of traveling, spending, and partying. During this time away from competitive fighting, Dempsey married actress Estelle Taylor in 1925 and fired his long-time trainer/manager Jack "Doc" Kearns. Kearns repeatedly sued Dempsey for large sums of money following his firing.

In April 1924, Dempsey was appointed to an executive position in the Irish Worker League (IWL). The IWL was a Soviet-backed Communist group founded in Dublin by Irish labour leader Jim Larkin.

Loss of title
In September 1926, Dempsey fought the Irish American and former U.S. Marine Gene Tunney in Philadelphia, a fighter who had only lost once in his career.  In spite of his record and Dempsey's inactivity, Tunney was considered the underdog against Dempsey.

The match ended in an upset, with Dempsey losing his title on points in 10 rounds. When the defeated Dempsey returned to his dressing room, he explained his loss to his wife by saying, "Honey, I forgot to duck." Fifty-five years later president Ronald Reagan borrowed this quote when his wife Nancy visited him in the emergency room after the attempt on his life.

Post-title loss

Following his loss of the heavyweight title, Dempsey contemplated retiring but decided to try a comeback.  It was during this time period that tragedy struck his family when his brother, John Dempsey, shot his estranged wife Edna (aged 21) and then killed himself in a murder–suicide, leaving behind a two-year-old son, Bruce.  Dempsey was called upon to identify the bodies and was emotionally affected by the incident.

During a July 21, 1927 fight at Yankee Stadium, Dempsey knocked out future heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey in the seventh round.  The fight was an elimination bout for a title shot against Tunney. Sharkey was beating Dempsey until the end.  The fight ended controversially when Sharkey claimed Dempsey had been hitting him below the belt. When Sharkey turned to the referee to complain, he left himself unprotected. Dempsey crashed a left hook onto his foe's chin, and Sharkey was unable to beat the ten-count.

Tunney rematch: "The Long Count"

The Dempsey–Tunney rematch took place in Chicago, Illinois, on September 22, 1927  one day less than a year after losing his title to Tunney. Generating more interest than the Carpentier and Firpo bouts, the fight brought in a record-setting $2 million gate. Reportedly, gangster Al Capone offered to fix the rematch in his favor, but the referee was changed to prevent that from happening. Millions around the country listened to the match by radio while hundreds of reporters covered the event. Tunney was paid a record one million dollars for the rematch.  Today's equivalent in U.S currency would be approximately $.00.

Dempsey was losing the fight on points when in the seventh round he knocked Tunney down with a left hook to the chin then landed several more punches. A new rule instituted at the time of the fight mandated that when a fighter knocked down an opponent, he must immediately go to a neutral corner.  Dempsey, however, refused to immediately move to the neutral corner when instructed by the referee. The referee had to escort Dempsey to the neutral corner, which bought Tunney at least an extra five seconds to recover.  Even though the official timekeeper clocked 14 seconds Tunney was down, Tunney got up at the referee's count of 9.  Dempsey then attempted to finish Tunney off before the end of the round, but failed to do so.  Tunney dropped Dempsey for a count of one in round eight and won the final two rounds of the fight, retaining the title of world heavyweight champion on a unanimous decision. Ironically, the neutral corner rule was requested during negotiations by members of the Dempsey camp. Another discrepancy was, when Tunney knocked Dempsey down, the timekeeper started the count immediately, not waiting for Tunney to move to a neutral corner. Because of the controversial nature of the fight due to the neutral corner rule and conflicting counts, the Dempsey–Tunney rematch remains known as "The Long Count Fight".

Post-retirement life

Dempsey retired from boxing following the Tunney rematch, but continued doing exhibition bouts with over one hundred matches between 1930 and 1931 alone.  Following retirement, Dempsey became known as a philanthropist.  In June 1932, he sponsored the "Ride of Champions" bucking horse event at Reno, Nevada with the "Dempsey Trophy" going to legendary bronc rider Pete Knight. In 1933, Dempsey was approached by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to portray a boxer in the film, The Prizefighter and the Lady, directed by W. S. Van Dyke and co-starring Myrna Loy. Dempsey portrayed himself in the role of referee of the climactic fight between Max Baer (playing the role of Steve Morgan) and Primo Carnera (playing himself), a fictional battle that foreshadowed their actual championship bout only a year later.  Dempsey attempted a boxing comeback in 1940 at the age of 45, setting a match against Cowboy Lutrell on July 1st.  The fight resulted in Dempsey knocking Lutrell out in the second round.  Dempsey would win two more exhibitions with early knockouts before deciding to call off the comeback and retire for good.

The Riviera del Pacifico Cultural and Convention Center in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico,  built in 1930, was  a gambling casino supposedly financed by Al Capone and managed by Jack Dempsey. Its clientele included Myrna Loy, Lana Turner and Dolores del Río.

In 1935, Dempsey opened Jack Dempsey's Restaurant in New York City on Eighth Avenue and 50th Street, across from the third Madison Square Garden.  The restaurant's name was later changed to Jack Dempsey's Broadway Restaurant when it relocated to Times Square on Broadway between 49th and 50th Streets.  It remained open until 1974. Dempsey was also a co-owner of the Howard Manor in Palm Springs, California.

Dempsey married four times; his first two wives were Maxine Gates (married from 1916 to 1919) and Estelle Taylor (married in 1925). Dempsey divorced Taylor in 1930, and married Broadway singer and recent divorcee Hannah Williams in 1933.  Williams was previously married to bandleader Roger Wolfe Kahn.  Dempsey and Williams had two children together and divorced in 1943.  Dempsey then married Deanna Piatelli, remaining married to her until his death in 1983.  The couple had one child, a daughter, whom they adopted together, and who would later write a book on Dempsey's life with Piatelli.

Service during World War II

When the United States entered World War II, Dempsey had an opportunity to refute any remaining criticism of his war record of two decades earlier. Dempsey joined the New York State Guard and was given a commission as a first lieutenant, later resigning that commission to accept a commission as a lieutenant in the Coast Guard Reserve. Dempsey reported for duty in June 1942 at Coast Guard Training Station, Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, New York, where he was assigned as "Director of Physical Education". As part of the ongoing war effort, Dempsey made personal appearances at fights, camps, hospitals and war bond drives. Dempsey was promoted to lieutenant commander in December 1942 and commander in March 1944. In 1944, Dempsey was assigned to the transport . In 1945, he was on board the attack transport  for the invasion of Okinawa. Dempsey also spent time aboard the , where he spent time showing the crew sparring techniques. Dempsey was released from active duty in September 1945 and received an honorable discharge from the Coast Guard Reserve in 1952.

Later life

Dempsey authored a book on boxing titled Championship Fighting: Explosive Punching and Aggressive Defense and published in 1950. The book emphasizes knockout power derived from enabling fast motion from one's heavy bodyweight.

After the world-famous Louis-Schmeling fight, Dempsey stated he was glad he never had to face Joe Louis in the ring; when Louis eventually fell on hard times financially, Dempsey served as honorary chairman of a relief fund to assist him.

Dempsey made friends with former opponents Wills and Tunney after retirement, with Dempsey campaigning for Tunney's son, Democrat John V. Tunney, when he successfully ran for the U.S. Senate, from California. He was also one of many boxers to attend the funeral of Feab S. Williams, who boxed under the name of George Godfrey.

One of Dempsey's best friends was Judge John Sirica, who presided over the Watergate trials.

Legacy
Dempsey was an inaugural 1954 inductee to The Ring magazine's Boxing Hall of Fame (disbanded in 1987), and was an inaugural 1990 inductee to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. In 1970, Dempsey became part of the "charter class" in the Utah Sports Hall of Fame.

He recounted an incident where he was assaulted while walking home at night, telling the press in 1971 that the two young muggers attempted to grab his arms, but he broke free and laid them both out cold on the sidewalk. The story of the encounter appeared in the Hendersonville Times-News, and reported the incident had taken place "a few years [earlier]".
In 1977, in collaboration with his daughter Barbara Lynn, Dempsey published his autobiography, titled Dempsey. In tribute to his legacy and boxing career, a 2004 PBS documentary summarized "Dempsey's boxing style consisted of constantly bobbing and weaving. His attacks were furious and sustained. Behind it all was rage. His aggressive behavior prompted a rule that boxers had to retreat to a neutral corner and give opponents who had been knocked down a chance to get up." According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, constant attack was his strategic defense.
In 2011, Dempsey was posthumously inducted into the Irish American Hall of Fame.

Dempsey was a Freemason and member of Kenwood Lodge #800 in Chicago, Illinois.

Death
On May 31, 1983, Dempsey died of heart failure at the age of 87 in New York City. His body was buried at Southampton Cemetery in Southampton, New York.

Professional boxing record

All newspaper decisions are officially regarded as "no decision" bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column.

Published works

See also
List of heavyweight boxing champions

References

Footnotes

Notes

Further reading

 
 Williams, Iain Cameron. The KAHNS of Fifth Avenue: the Crazy Rhythm of Otto Hermann Kahn and the Kahn Family, 2022, iwp publishing, ISBN-13 978-1916146587, chapter 16 - details in-depth Dempsey's marriage to Hannah Williams, the former wife of Otto Hermann Kahn's son Roger Wolfe Kahn.

External links

https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/NYSAC_World_Heavyweight_Title_Fights
https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/NBA_World_Heavyweight_Title_Fights
Boxing Hall of Fame
ESPN.com

 Jack Dempsey's New York Restaurant

Free Downloadable Menu from Jack Dempsey's New York Restaurant

Jack Dempsey at Virtual History
Jack Dempsey profile at Cyber Boxing Zone
advertising poster to the Carpentier fight, 1921

 
1895 births
1983 deaths
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